The present disclosure relates to a developing device and an image forming apparatus provided with the same.
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer or a facsimile machine, a developing device supplies toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductive drum to develop the electrostatic latent image, whereby a toner image is formed on the photoconductive drum. The developing device includes a developing roller rotatably supported in a housing. The developing roller is arranged with a predetermined gap defined between the developing roller and the photoconductive drum and carries a developer containing at least toner on a circumferential surface. Further, there is known a technology for providing a resin layer on a surface of a developing roller. There is known an immersion method (dip method, dipping method) of manufacturing a developing roller by immersing a raw tube of the developing roller into a resin liquid in which a resin material is dissolved in advance. There is also known a technology for forming a resistance layer on a surface of a photoconductive drum by the immersion method. In such a developing device, an agitating member is arranged to face the developing roller. The agitating member supplies the developer to the developing roller while conveying the developer in a predetermined conveying direction.